Hodnett Wins $20,000 Finale of Summer Nationals at Williams Grove

Posted on July 25, 2010

From Tony Veneziano

Mechanicsburg, PA-July 24, 2010- Greg Hodnett fondly recalled on Saturday night how the late Jim Nace used to the say the bottom of the track was the “Money Lane.” That proved to be true in the finale of the Summer Nationals at the famed Williams Grove Speedway, as Hodnett worked the low side of the half-mile to perfection, to score the $20,000 win as the “Month of Money” continues for the World of Outlaws.

Hodnett dove under Paul McMahan in turn two on the 26th lap to take the top spot and would lead the final five circuits of the 30-lapper to pick up his 10th career World of Outlaws A-Feature win and his fourth in the last six races for the series at Williams Grove Speedway.

“It was a really good race and an exciting race, at least from my standpoint where I was,” said Hodnett in Victory Lane. “The race track was in really good shape for the second night of a two-night show. There were a lot of slide jobs and I’m sure it was exciting for the fans.”

Hodnett fell all the way back to ninth early in the race after starting third and used an open red flag on the eighth lap to his advantage, as his crew made a number of changes on the Macri Concrete Maxim. On the ensuing restart, he began his march to the front moving all the way up to sixth, as he charged past Tyler Walker and Jason Meyers. He battled Craig Dollansky for the fifth spot for a few laps, before taking that position on lap-14. Joey Saldana, Jason Sides and Sammy Swindell were next on his radar, as he moved into second with 11 laps to go, setting his sights on McMahan.

“We were all balled up and couldn’t run the center, so we actually freed it up and it got to rolling better,” explained the winner of the open red flag. “On the restart, I went to the bottom and I could see those guys weren’t going anymore and I figured they were losing their tires. I just kind if laid back and let them come to me.”

The victory for Hodnett extended the Pennsylvania Posse’s win streak to eight at Williams Grove Speedway against the World of Outlaws dating back to last season, which is the longest win streak in the long, storied rivalry.

“It means a lot,” Hodnett admitted of winning for the PA Posse. “All the guys here do a great job. It feels good to be one of the guys that have helped hold them at bay. Every week we come here is tough. I think that competition level puts us in a good spot when the Outlaws come to town. The Outlaws guys and the guys that run here every week are so smart that they figure things out quickly. Any little thing you can find that works, you had better take advantage of, because it won’t last long.”

Paul McMahan started on the pole after winning the dash for the second consecutive night and ran third in the early going, as Sammy Swindell led and Jason Sides moved into second on the opening lap. McMahan took the lead from Swindell coming off turn four on the 16th lap when the fourth and final caution of the night flew, negating the pass. On the restart, McMahan would lead the field down the front straightaway into turn one. The veteran would wind up leading 10 laps aboard the Great Clips Maxim en route to a runner-up finish.

“Second place here at the Grove is nothing to hand your head about,” stated McMahan. “To get beat by Greg Hodnett and Lee Stauffer is nothing to bat an eye at. Those guys are awesome. I’ve been the bridesmaid now three times in the last month. My wife told me this morning before I came out here that it was my turn and that I was going to win a race. I kind of feel like I let her down.”

Jason Sides moved into second right at the start of the race and looked low in turns three and four for the lead on the opening circuit, but could not quite get enough of a run on Swindell. Again on the second lap, Sides would look low, this time in turns one and two to no avail. He would run in the Top-Four all night on his way to a third-place finish in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim.

“They guys never gave up and neither did I,” shared Sides. “We had a crappy night last night (Friday) after we drew a bad number and went out late. We had a really good race track tonight and went out early and it does show that an early draw here is important. Anytime you can get a good draw is good.”

McMahan lined up on the inside of the track twice on double file restarts and on the outside twice as well. The lap-16 restart saw him charge down the front straightaway and into the lead. For McMahan, the podium finish was his ninth Top-Five in the last 10 races, which leads all drivers over that span.

“My car was working really good and I could put it anywhere on the race track,” said McMahan. “Sammy (Swindell) chose the top each time and was starting really early and went way up high. I just got a good restart off the bottom and a good run down the front straightaway and cleared him in (turn) one and he slide me and was able to keep running the same line that I had been running and got back by him. We just needed it to be 25 laps and not 30.”

Jason Sides fell back to fifth on the seventh lap, before working his way back around Craig Dollansky and Joey Saldana on the way to his 15 th Top-Five finish of the season, which matched his best career run at Williams Grove Speedway. Sides began the night by turning the fastest lap in time trials of the 46 cars that took to the track.

“Before that last caution I think we could have won it,” Sides said, “I got by on the bottom and were floating there in the middle some and was catching Paul (McMahan) and Sammy (Swindell). Traffic was going to help I think and I wish we would have gotten to it sooner.”

Sammy Swindell, who led the first 15 laps on Saturday night, ended up fourth in the Big Game Treestands Maxim. Chad Layton came home fifth in the Middleswarth Chips J&J.

Lance Dewease, who won the opener of the Summer Nationals on Friday night, came all the way from the 24th starting spot to finish sixth in the Advance Development Services Maxim to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award. Joey Saldana finished seventh in the Budweiser Maxim to extend his lead in the World of Outlaws championship standings. Tyler Walker was eighth in the Hunter Truck Sales Maxim, with Steve Kinser coming from 17th to finish ninth in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim. Sam Hafertepe Jr. rounded out the Top-10 in the Lone Star Speedway Maxim.

The World of Outlaws continue the second East Coast swing of the season on Sunday, July 25 at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York.

WILLIAMS GROVE SUMMER NATIONALS NIGHT #2 NOTES

•FAST QUALIFIER: Jason Sides paced the 46 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked half-mile oval at 17.095 seconds at 105.294 mph. For his qualifying effort, Sides earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Greg Hodnett (4), Sammy Swindell (3), Lucas Wolfe (2) and Brian Montieth (1).